It is known to provide suspended conveyor systems in which an endless rail provides a support for a plurality of rollers interconnected by a chain and from which, for example, garments can be suspended on hangers so as to be displaceable between the storage region and a dispensing or loading station, between processing stations or the like.
A conveyor of this type may be provided in a dry-cleaning establishment or other establishment in which it is necessary to deliver garments to a particular station from a store of the garments set back from the dispensing location.
In the conventional system of this type, the endless rail, which can be formed in an oval pattern, generally is suspended from the ceiling or another elevated structure of the establishment and the rollers run upon this rail and are interconnected by a displacement chain of conventional link type. The links are formed as round bodies and are engaged by sprocket wheels at the reversing ends of the conveyor, at least one of the sprocket wheels being driven. The teeth of the sprocket wheels thus engage between the links or bodies of the chain.
Experience has shown that such a drive system and, more generally, circulating conveyor system is very noisy. This is especially the case when the conveyor is driven intermittently and starting and stopping occurs with shocks or suddenly. At these times increased noise results. Furthermore, the interengagement of the links of the chain with the teeth of the sprocket wheel gives rise to considerable wear of both.